Germany is investigating potential security failures after a man drove his car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday, killing at least five people. The incident has reignited concerns over security and immigration ahead of the country's snap election.

The arrested suspect, a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia named Taleb A., had a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and sympathized with the far-right Alternative for Germany Party. His motives remain unclear. On the day of the attack, he posted video messages on social media, accusing Germany’s liberalism for the death of Socrates, criticizing the police for stealing his USB stick, and even claiming they destroyed a criminal complaint he had filed.

As the nation mourned, with citizens leaving flowers and candles at the attack site, questions arose about whether authorities could have prevented the tragedy. Taleb A. had reportedly received psychological treatment, and there were concerns about whether warnings about him had been ignored.

Later, about 3,500 people attended a rally by the anti-migrant AfD in Magdeburg, where co-leader Alice Weidel called for a safer society. Counter-demonstrators, numbering around 4,000, formed a human chain to protest against the political exploitation of the tragedy.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser advocated for stricter internal security laws, including a new act to strengthen police forces and implement biometric surveillance. She emphasized the need to provide security forces with more resources to prevent such violence.

The Bundestag’s security committee deputy head announced plans for a special session to examine why authorities failed to act on prior warnings about the suspect. Taleb A. had lived in Germany since 2006.

The attack, just two months before the February snap election, has intensified debates on national security. The far-right AfD, polling second in the election and particularly strong in eastern Germany, has called for a tougher stance on immigration.

Germany’s main opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union, has called for bolstered intelligence services. Meanwhile, the federal criminal police office (BKA) president, Holger Muench, confirmed that security measures at Christmas markets were being reviewed. German authorities had received a vague warning from Saudi Arabia about the suspect in 2023 but found no immediate threat.

Taha al-Hajji, a Saudi lawyer and human rights advocate, described the suspect as isolated, with a history of conflict and problems with everyone he encountered.